ALCYONEfGreek Mythology (Latinized)Latinized form of Greek Αλκυονη (Alkyone), derived from the word αλκυων (alkyon) meaning "kingfisher". In Greek myth this name belonged to a daughter of Aeolus and the wife of Ceyx. After her husband was killed in a shipwreck she threw herself into the water, but the gods saved her and turned them both into kingfishers. This is also the name of the brightest of the Pleiades, the seven stars in the constellation Taurus.

ALDARAfGalicianGalician form of the Visigothic name Hildiwara, which was composed of the Germanic elements hild "battle" and war "vigilant, cautious". This was the name of the mother of Saint Rosendo (10th century).

ALEXANDRIAfEnglishFeminine form of ALEXANDER. Alexander the Great founded several cities by this name (or renamed them) as he extended his empire eastward. The most notable of these is Alexandria in Egypt, founded by Alexander in 331 BC.

ALEXISm & fGerman, French, English, Greek, Ancient GreekFrom the Greek name Αλεξις (Alexis) meaning "helper" or "defender", derived from Greek αλεξω (alexo) "to defend, to help". This was the name of a 3rd-century BC Greek comic poet, and also of several saints. It is used somewhat interchangeably with the related name Αλεξιος or Alexius, borne by five Byzantine emperors. In the English-speaking world it is more commonly used as a feminine name.

ALFHILDfNorwegian, SwedishFrom the Old Norse name Alfhildr, which was composed of the elements alfr "elf" and hildr "battle". In Norse legend Alfhild was a maiden who disguised herself as a warrior in order to avoid marriage to King Alf. Her life was perhaps based on that of a 9th-century Viking pirate.

ALICEfEnglish, French, Portuguese, Italian, CzechFrom the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, itself a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (see ADELAIDE). This name became popular in France and England in the 12th century. It was borne by the heroine of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' (1865) and 'Through the Looking Glass' (1871).

ALISONfEnglish, FrenchNorman French diminutive of Aalis (see ALICE). It was common in England, Scotland and France in the Middle Ages, and was later revived in England in the 20th century via Scotland. Unlike most other English names ending in son, it is not derived from a surname.

ALMA (1)fEnglish, Spanish, Italian, DutchThis name became popular after the Battle of Alma (1854), which took place near the River Alma in Crimea and ended in a victory for Britain and France. However, the name was in rare use before the battle; it was probably inspired by Latin almus "nourishing". It also coincides with the Spanish word meaning "the soul".

ALMUDENAfSpanishDerived from Arabic المدينة (al-mudaynah) meaning "the citadel". It was in a building by this name that a concealed statue of the Virgin Mary was discovered during the Reconquista in Madrid. The Virgin of Almudena, that is Mary, is the patron saint of Madrid.

ALODIAfAncient Germanic (Latinized)Possibly from a Visigothic name derived from the Germanic elements alja "other, foreign" and aud "riches, wealth". Saint Alodia was a 9th-century Spanish martyr with her sister Nunilo.

ALTHEAfGreek Mythology (Latinized)From the Greek name Αλθαια (Althaia), perhaps related to Greek αλθος (althos) "healing". In Greek myth she was the mother of Meleager. Soon after her son was born she was told that he would die as soon as a piece of wood that was burning on her fire was fully consumed. She immediately extinguished the piece of wood and sealed it in a chest, but in a fit of rage many years later she took it out and set it alight, thereby killing her son.

ALUDRAfAstronomyDerived from Arabic العذرا (al-'adhra) meaning "the maiden". This is the name of a star in the constellation Canis Major.

ALYSSAfEnglishVariant of ALICIA. The spelling has probably been influenced by that of the alyssum flower, the name of which is derived from Greek α (a), a negative prefix, combined with λυσσα (lyssa) "madness, rabies", since it was believed to cure madness.

AMANDAfEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Late RomanIn part this is a feminine form of AMANDUS. However, it was not used during the Middle Ages. In the 17th century it was recreated by authors and poets who based it directly on Latin amanda meaning "lovable, worthy of love". Notably, the playwright Colley Cibber used it for a character in his play 'Love's Last Shift' (1696). It came into regular use during the 19th century.

AMATERASUfFar Eastern MythologyMeans "shining over heaven", from Japanese 天 (ama) meaning "heaven, sky" and 照 (terasu) meaning "shine". This was the name of the Japanese sun goddess, the ruler of the heavens. At one time the Japanese royal family claimed descent from her.

AMBERfEnglish, DutchFrom the English word amber that denotes either the gemstone, which is formed from fossil resin, or the orange-yellow colour. The word ultimately derives from Arabic عنبر ('anbar). It began to be used as a given name in the late 19th century, but it only became popular after the release of Kathleen Winsor's novel 'Forever Amber' (1944).

AMELIAfEnglish, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Dutch, German, Ancient GermanicVariant of AMALIA, though it is sometimes confused with EMILIA, which has a different origin. The name became popular in England after the German House of Hanover came to the British throne in the 18th century - it was borne by daughters of George II and George III. Another famous bearer was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937), the first woman to make a solo flight over the Atlantic Ocean.

AMERICAfEnglishIn the English-speaking world, this name is usually given in reference to the United States of America (see AMERIGO). It came into use as an American name in the 19th century.

AMETHYSTfEnglish (Rare)From the name of the purple semi-precious stone, which is derived from the Greek negative prefix α (a) and μεθυστος (methystos) meaning "intoxicated, drunk", as it was believed to be a remedy against drunkenness.

AMYfEnglishEnglish form of the Old French name Amée meaning "beloved" (modern French aimée), a vernacular form of the Latin Amata. As an English name, it was in use in the Middle Ages (though not common) and was revived in the 19th century.

AN (1)m & fChinese, VietnameseFrom Chinese 安 (ān) meaning "peace, quiet" or other characters with a similar pronunciation. As a Vietnamese name, it is derived from Sino-Vietnamese 安 meaning "safe, secure".

ANASTASIAfGreek, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, English, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Ancient GreekFeminine form of ANASTASIUS. This was the name of a 4th-century Dalmatian saint who was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Due to her, the name has been common in Eastern Orthodox Christianity (in various spellings). As an English name it has been in use since the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the youngest daughter of the last Russian tsar Nicholas II, who was rumoured to have escaped the execution of her family in 1918.

ANAT (1)fSemitic MythologyPossibly derived from a Semitic root meaning "water spring". Anat was a goddess of fertility, hunting and war worshipped by the Semitic peoples of the Levant. She was the sister and consort of the god Hadad.